The trail begins from the car park of Leonardo's Birthplace. Turning in the direction of Sant'Amato, the first stretch winds along the asphalt road and, at the Baldassini Mill, which has the year of construction, 1581, still etched on its facade, you find the start of the trail that delves into the area named Vallebuia. Along the route there are five water mills, dating back as early as the year 1500, whose characteristic features are still visible today and that were used for the grinding of cereals.
The high umidity and the low exposure to the sunlight of the trail, make it the ideal place for some plant and animal species, such as the dandelion, spring snowflakes, snowdrops, the salamander, the spectacled salamander, the Apennine frog, the agile frog and the river crab, also known by Leonardo who portrayed it in one of his drawings.
Still visible at the end of the route is a section of the Barco Reale Mediceo, the hunting ground of the Medici family, built in the 17th century. This enclosure, that once was about 50 km long, was built by grand duke Ferdinando II dei Medici in order to have a game rich area in which to hunt during the family visits to their many villas, scattered in the Montalbano area.
At the end of the trail you can continue to the left along trail n.16b, or to the right in the direction of Santa Lucia, reconnecting with trail n.14.
Along the route you find:
The Watermills Road trail ends at the Mulino dei Poveri, the last of the five mills that are found along the route, although you can continue to the left along trail n. 16b, to reach the village of Sant'Amato, or continue to the right towards Santa Lucia, reaching trail n. 14
